As is expected by the IB curriculum English Language students are required to study literary and non-literary works. We looked at political cartoon first and now began studying column articles. We looked particularly into a female columnist, Moira Donegan. Moira is an American columnist for The Guardian. She is a very established feminist and stands up for women’s rights regardless of race, sexual orientation or beliefs. Her outspoken personality shows that she does not conform to societal norms. She does not believe in the fact the women should behave in a predefined way and that men hold any sort of superiority to women.
These views are clear in the way that she writes. Her articles usually relate to the mistreatment of women within society- American society. She also questions herself about some women’s choices and why they still make decisions that some would consider outdated even after there has been so much evolution in the mentality of society.
“What Christina Blasey Ford reveals about womanhood” is my favourite article so far by Moira Donegan. In this article she speaks about Ford’s testimony during Brett Kavanaugh’s trial, a man she accused of sexually assaulting her. This article reveals many different aspects that need to be corrected. Moira’s way of writing is unconsciously convincing and her tone intentionally, though subtly, angers the reader. One of the main issues raised by the article is the inequality of women before justice. This is seen in the description of Ford’s posture and obvious fear when in front of the judges. The comparison between the 1991 case of Anita Hill also raises a point. That point being the fact that change hasn’t really happened for women yet, in fact, they might’ve regressed. Black women have for centuries been at a disadvantage to white women and therefore Hill’s case was no surprise at the time. However, Ford, a white woman with a PhD was more of a shock to society. It leaves the reader thinking where we are now and what progress there has really been regarding women’s rights. In my opinion- very little. We are very stuck on the superficial things when there are real issues for women in the deepest layers of society that are often forgotten.
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